Surf Life Saving Queensland to Play a Role in the Commonwealth Games

The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation (GOLDOC) today announced that Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ) members will be involved in a range of initiatives supporting next year’s Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018).

GOLDOC Chairman, Peter Beattie AC said today’s announcement is a result of an ongoing and extensive community engagement program that has been implemented to support the planning and preparation for Festival 2018 - the arts and culture program and GC2018 ceremonies.

"Our iconic surf life savers will continue their work during GC2018 to keep everyone safe, however they will also play an important role in elements of Festival 2018 and ceremonies and in welcoming athletes, officials and visitors from 70 nations and territories of the Commonwealth.

"SLSQ is part of the fabric of our communities and I am delighted that they will be involved in GC2018 and that extensive member training has already been initiated to prepare for the increase in visitation to the region.

Surf Life Saving Queensland CEO John Brennan OAM said the involvement of SLSQ members in opportunities with GC2018 was very exciting.

"Being a part of one of the world’s greatest sporting events presents a unique opportunity for the organisation and will certainly reinforce the role we play in educating the public about beach safety.

"Surf life savers are synonymous with Queensland so to see our members be a part of GC2018 as it is showcased on the world stage will be a once in a lifetime and extremely memorable experience for us all," Mr Brennan said.

GOLDOC CEO, Mark Peters said that the GC2018 arts and culture team had has been working with Ceremonies Production Company, Jack Morton Worldwide, and the Festival 2018 Creative Lead, Circa Contemporary Circus for over 18 months conducting extensive community consultation with a variety of stakeholders.

"The consultation to date has involved well over two thousand individuals and organisations, from community and indigenous groups, to local and regional arts practitioners and creative organisations across Queensland," Mr Peters said.

Callouts for participants in Festival 2018 activities will be announced in the coming months with details of the opening and closing ceremonies mass cast auditions to be announced in August.

For information on the arts and culture program visit www.gc2018.com/festival

For information on the opening and closing ceremonies visit www.gc2018.com/ceremonies

For more information, please contact:

Email: media@goldoc.com

Tamara Morris - 0400 658 429

Manager Communication and Media

Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation (GOLDOC)

25 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics iswww.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only